The present invention relates generally to devices for applying decorative paint to articles of clothing, and more particularly to an airbrush type device.
Airbrushes are well known and are used in a wide variety of applications, such as art, hobbies, crafts, ceramics, cake decorating, taxidermy, etc. Airbrushes are particularly useful for applying detailed painted designs to T-shirts and sweatshirts. In general, airbrushes can accommodate water based paints, inks, dyes, oils, stains, lacquers, enamels, and acrylics.
A typical airbrush comprises a handle attached to a shell to which is secured a small cup or container filled with paint. The cup may be located above the shell for a gravity feed, or below or alongside the shell for a siphon feed. The bottom of the shell includes a fitting to which an air hose is attached. The opposite end of the hose is attached to a source of pressurized air, such as a CO.sub.2 tank, compressor, or aerosol propellant can. The air and liquid paint are brought together and atomized into a spray, either inside or outside the head of the airbrush.
A finger trigger is disposed at the top of the shell of the airbrush and, when depressed, releases a preset amount of spray. Some airbrushes are dual action, wherein depressing the trigger releases air and pulling back on the trigger releases a volume of liquid paint.
Airbrushes are advantageous in that a fine spray of paint may be controlled in order to decorate an object with very intimate designs. However, airbrushes are generally complicated to operate and therefore are primarily intended for professional artists. In addition, the cost of airbrush kits are relatively expensive and impractical for the amateur designer.
In lieu of airbrushes, T-shirts and sweatshirts can be decorated by use of a silkscreen process in which coloring matter is forced onto the material to be printed through the meshes of a screen that is designed to have pervious printing areas and impervious printing areas. However, silkscreening is also a relatively expensive process that is intended for use by professionals in mass-producing a garment having the same design.
It is desired to provide a device and process, whereby an individual may custom paint his/her own garments with the precision obtainable by conventional airbrushes.